Browns pivot on QB decision, trade veteran signal-caller to NFC team
The Cleveland Browns began Thursday by announcing they were waiving quarterback Kellen Mond, a former third-round pick. Head coach Kevin Stefanski later informed reporters that Joshua Dobbs was officially the team's backup quarterback behind Deshaun Watson.
That plan has since changed.
Shortly after naming Dobbs the team's No. 2 quarterback for 2023, the Browns traded the veteran signal-caller to the Arizona Cardinals. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Cleveland will receive a seventh-round pick in exchange for Dobbs.
The deal marked the third trade of the day for the Cardinals, who sent former No. 8 overall pick Isaiah Simmons to the New York Giants for a seventh-round pick and later shipped former starting offensive tackle Josh Jones to the Houston Texans.
Dobbs, who started two games for the Tennessee Titans last season, will now compete with Colt McCoy for snaps in Arizona as starter Kyler Murray continues his recovery from a knee injury.
As for the Browns, Mond was never officially waived on Thursday. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Cleveland has pivoted on their decision to part with Mond after trading Dobbs and now plans to retain the 24-year-old Texas A&M product on the roster through at least the end of the preseason.
With Dobbs out of the picture, rookie standout Dorian Thompson-Robinson is in line to man the second-string gig behind Watson. A fifth-round pick out of UCLA, Thompson-Robinson has compiled 348 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air in the preseason, leading all Browns quarterbacks with a 102.4 quarterback rating.
Regardless of all the movement at quarterback, the Browns will still go as far as Watson takes them in 2023. With an entire offseason under his belt, the three-time Pro Bowler will look to recapture his 2020 form when he led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards.
More must-reads: